Edmonton’s property tax increase will hit 3.5 percent this year, after council voted Tuesday to include more money in the budget for policing a growing city and regulating cannabis.
The hike means the typical homeowner, with a house worth $397,000, will see an $83 annual increase, resulting in a $2,468 municipal tax bill.
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Cannabis-related costs account for $1.7 million of that tax increase, say city officials, to cover issuing business licences, boosting the number of transit cops, launching a communications campaign and increasing fire and bylaw response.
Council chose to take $2.5 million from its “snowy day” fund to help offset any further tax hikes this year associated with legalized marijuana.
Police ultimately expect to spend $7.2 million annually on enforcement as marijuana shops offer tantalizing new targets for thieves and drug-impaired driver cases soar.
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